


Blood on the Sand

by Sharinarra



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Elia Martell Lives, Gen, R Plus L Equals J
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-26
Updated: 2019-01-26
Packaged: 2019-10-17 05:31:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17554298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sharinarra/pseuds/Sharinarra
Summary: What if Oberyn Martell was in Kings Landing on the night of the Lannister Betrayal?What if Elia survived and they reached the Tower of Joy while Ned and Arthur were fighting?Does not contain specific descriptions of violence or rape, but does heavily imply them and does have some gore.





	Blood on the Sand

The sun was lowering itself gently down below the horizon, drenching the parched sandstone hills in orange light that tinged the walls of the ancient tower with red. It was an appropriate setting for the blood that was slowly sinking into the stones of the highest room. 

An appropriate setting indeed for a birthing that was also a death.

The Sword of Morning looked out over the bodies of his fallen brother and the northmen who had gone against them before a desperate cry had halted everything. Opposite, across the wasted carnage, the only northern survivor stood anxiously. Howland Reed watched him, as he watched the northman, and both waited on news from the tower that rose above them. 

The tower that held the young Lord Paramount of the North.  
The tower that held the rightful Queen and, gods willing, the true heir to the Throne.

The two men waited, wondering. 

Neither knowing how the future might play out from here. 

 

At length, a small procession exited the tower, Ned Stark at its head.  
Behind him, Lord Commander Hightower solemnly bore a body wrapped for burial.  
And limping steadily along at the back, a woman wrapped in worn and travel stained silks was supported by an equally wearied man with a long spear of the Dornish style slung across his back. In her arms, the Lady cradled a small bundle with the utmost care.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

“Ser Arthur. Howland.” Ned Stark’s voice was hoarse, his eyes red from weeping.

Howland Reed moved forward to stand beside the Sword of Morning, both presenses solid, silently loyal and steadfast. Arthur Dayne looked beyond Lord Stark to the woman and her precious bundle. Howland Reed looked to be visibly restraining himself from stepping forward to comfort his dearest friend. 

Ned recaptured both of their attention as he stood directly in front of them and looked the two men in the eyes solemnly, a heavy weight of protective determination shining in his own eyes.  
“Everything you have seen and will learn here today goes no further than those of us who are already here. Swear it.”

Howland was nodding before he had even finished speaking. Arthur looked beyond Stark to his silent Lord Commander, and only upon seeing the slight nod from Hightower did he return his gaze to Stark and nod seriously. 

“Upon my honour as Kingsguard, and my very life.”

“Good.”

The woman drew herself proudly but painfully upright, her head cover falling back to reveal the olive skin, dark eyes, and ringletted hair that matched those of the man beside her and were so characteristic of Sunspear and House Martell. It also revealed a now ruined beauty upon a frail form; her hair shorn close to hide where large patches had been torn out, a dull and deadened eye staring sightlessly from a caved socket, and lips that were pulled forever downwards on one side by paralysed muscles. 

Reflexively, Ser Arthur knelt before her as Howland Reed bowed courteously.

“My husband and his father are dead. My children were murdered before my eyes, and my own survival is due only to the swift blade of my brother. I bear in my arms Jaehaerys Targaryen, the last living child of the Crown Prince Rhaegar. You will swear to me now, both of you, as these others have done already, that you will do nothing to endanger him!”

This time it was Arthur who was swift to swear his oath, and Howland who looked to his friend and Lord Paramount for confirmation. 

“The boy is my nephew, the son of Lyanna. He is of the North as much as he is blood of the Dragon, and I will not see him murdered at Roberts command.”

Howland Reed swore to protect the child with all that he had. 

Gravely, Ser Gerold Hightower, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, laid his bundle down and addressed the battered but determined nobles around him. “The question now, is how are we to keep him safe from Baratheon spies.”

“I will cut down any who dare to try and harm him.” Ser Arthur declared immediately. 

Smiling fiercely around paralysed muscles and missing teeth, Elia Martell gently rocked the newborn babe in her arms. “I know. As would Oberyn and all of Dorne, at my demand and in memory of my children both, no matter any personal feelings upon his parentage.” and then she sighed “But we cannot take so brazen a stand.”

“What?!”

The steely glint of a woman who had walked through the very fires of hell and back stopped any further outbursts. “The greatest protection we can give my stepson - your rightful king - is secrecy. I will be expected to resurface in Sunspear, grieving and guarded by Oberyn. If I arrive with a newborn babe in my arms, there will be questions we cannot afford. Jaehaerys would not be safe, even were all the blades of sunspear to stand between him and Baratheons warriors. And having a knight of the Kingsguard beside him would only confirm any suspicions our enemies would hold.”

“That is why he will go north.” put in Ned Stark. “A Dragon he cannot be, and he doesn’t have the colouring to pass for a Sand. But I can claim him as mine, a Snow Wolf he can be.”

“For his childhood, yes.” agreed Elia “but when he comes of age, or if Robert’s eye turns too close upon him, he must come to Sunspear and damn the risk.”

“If I may” Ser Arthur interjected, looking less than happy “if I cannot be beside him in body, let me guard him in spirit. He will need a mother who Robert will not question. Rhaegar was my brother in all but blood, let his son now be my nephew the same. Claim his mother as my sister, Ashara. When he comes close to being of age, we can arrange for Dorne to seem less hostile, and you can ‘seal the truce’ by sending my nephew to his mother’s homeland as my squire. I will accompany the Princess to Sunspear as her Kingsguard. None would ever think to name the child a Targaryen if I publically stand guard over the Princess and let him go north without me” 

Oberyn Martell nodded. “You make an excellent point, Ser Arthur. Elia and I will draw all eyes and fears of rebellion upon ourselves, demanding justice for the children, and your presence will serve well to distract any wandering thoughts.” here his gaze turned upon the two northmen, eyes flinty “but ruse or no, I will have vengeance for my niece and nephew. But especially for what the Mountain that Rides was able to do to my sister before I reached her. What he did at Tywin Lannisters orders.” 

No words were needed. Neither Lord of the North would dream of expecting so heavy a wrong to be left unavenged. 

 

Seeing that all were resolved upon their course, Ser Gerold nodded firmly. “Guard my King well, Lord Stark. Arthur, I will hold you personally responsible for the safety of the Queen Mother.”

“Yes, my Lord. But where will you go? Surely not to the Usurper. Even he would not believe you sincere!” 

“No. There are but two true men of the Kingsguard left, and I have a duty to all of the Royal family. You and Lord Stark have the care of our King. I will go into exile, for I must seek out Prince Viserys, Queen Rhaella, and her newborn child.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

The clear desert moon shone down upon the stones of an ancient tower, bloodsoaked and abandoned, now repurposed as cairns for the men who had fallen at its feet. 

From its vantage high in the night sky, its light also shone down on three travelling parties; two northmen and a babe riding north with a shrouded corpse; two Dornishmen and a woman making their slow and painful way south; and one lone knight with stained white cloak, steadily moving eastwards to the sea.

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah, that's a thing. 
> 
> Elia was in the middle of Gregor Cleganes assault when Oberyn reached them. Gregor is very, very dead. She has been left severely and permanently injured as a result. 
> 
> Ashara Dayne in canon committed suicide after the death of Ser Arthur, but in this, I'm going to say she died giving birth to the stillborn child of Brandon Stark the day before this encounter, and a messenger was sent to Arthur at the Tower of Joy. The other Daynes would have been a bit busy with the Dornish army in the Crownlands during the whole rebellion thing for the servants to have told them yet, and Arthur, Oberyn, and Elia would have stopped off in Starfall to make sure everyone followed the party line. The in canon suicide was rumoured to have been because of child loss in one form or another, so I think it fits.
> 
> Queen Rhaella still dies giving birth to Dany, but no one knows about that yet, ravens aren't quite that efficient after all. Gerold Hightower will take the two royal children under his protection and raise them in exile. Viserys will not be growing up convinced that he is the rightful king, but he still has the madness. 
> 
> I will not be continuing this universe, so the concept and future fallout are up for adoption if anyone feels like expanding on this base. All I ask is you let me know, and credit this fic as the inspiration :)


End file.
